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Classic-Horror.com's most recent movie reviewsenReview: House of Wax (1953)http://classic-horror.com/reviews/house_of_wax_1953
<div class="image-attach-teaser image-attach-node-15778" style="width: 138px;"><a href="/reviews/house_of_wax_1953"><img src="http://classic-horror.com/files/images/house_of_wax_1953.thumbnail.jpg" alt="House of Wax 1953 poster" title="House of Wax 1953 poster" class="image image-thumbnail " width="138" height="210" /></a></div>
<p>Call it an irrational fear, but wax figures give me the creeps. I recognize the artistic talent behind each of these seemingly lifelike sculptures, but the features have an off-putting radiance that resounds uncannily with me. Thankfully I must not be the only one with unease toward these waxworks given the effectiveness of André De Toth's <em>House of Wax</em> as a horror film. Building off the premise of 1933's <em><a href="/reviews/mystery_of_the_wax_museum_1933" title="Mystery of the Wax Museum">Mystery of the Wax Museum</a></em>, De Toth's remake similarly melds elements of mystery with images of the macabre into a satisfyingly frightful elixir.</p><p><a href="http://classic-horror.com/reviews/house_of_wax_1953" target="_blank">read more</a></p>http://classic-horror.com/reviews/house_of_wax_1953#commentsTheatrical releasePhantomsPsycho KillersUSAMon, 31 Oct 2011 09:00:00 +0000John Dubrawa410 at http://classic-horror.comReview: Horrors of Malformed Men (1969)http://classic-horror.com/reviews/horrors_of_malformed_men_1969
<div class="image-attach-teaser image-attach-node-17833" style="width: 147px;"><a href="/reviews/horrors_of_malformed_men_1969"><img src="http://classic-horror.com/files/images/horrors-malformed-poster.thumbnail.jpg" alt="Horrors of Malformed Men poster" title="Horrors of Malformed Men poster" class="image image-thumbnail " width="147" height="210" /></a></div>
<p>Banned for decades in its native Japan,
director Teruo Ishii's <em>Horrors of Malformed Men</em> is
considered a landmark of Japanese horror, in particular the "Ero
guro" (erotic-grotesque) genre, which combines horror with bizarre
sexuality. Based off the literary works of author Edogawa Rampo,
<em>Horrors of Malformed Men</em> is a surreal, psychedelic fever-dream
of a movie, where logic and neat, tidy story progression are set
aside in favor of a more dream-like atmosphere. While decades of
increasingly extreme horror movies, both from Japan and elsewhere,
have muted the film's shock value, it remains a uniquely bizarre
film.
</p><p><a href="http://classic-horror.com/reviews/horrors_of_malformed_men_1969" target="_blank">read more</a></p>http://classic-horror.com/reviews/horrors_of_malformed_men_1969#commentsTheatrical releaseMad ScientistsMonstersScience FictionJapanMon, 03 Oct 2011 06:53:36 +0000Brandon Tenold7793 at http://classic-horror.comReview: The House That Dripped Blood (1971)http://classic-horror.com/reviews/house_that_dripped_blood_1971
<div class="image-attach-teaser image-attach-node-17806" style="width: 134px;"><a href="/reviews/house_that_dripped_blood_1971"><img src="http://classic-horror.com/files/images/house_that_dripped_blood_poster.thumbnail.jpg" alt="The House That Dripped Blood poster" title="The House That Dripped Blood poster" class="image image-thumbnail " width="134" height="210" /></a></div>
<p>From
1965 to 1973, Max J. Rosenberg and
Milton Subotsky's Amicus studios unleashed a string of high quality
anthology films that were inspired by the macabre morality tales
found in the pages of E.C. Comics. It's a format in which the company
would excel, as many of these features are now considered classics.
One of the studios finest portmanteau efforts is director Peter
Duffel's <em>The House That Dripped Blood</em>.
The film is extraordinary from start to finish thanks to its
exceptional writing, a star-studded cast, and a crew that enlivens
what is, for the most part, a stage-bound production.</p>
<p>
The story begins as a police inspector is called in to
investigate the disappearance of Paul Henderson, an actor who had
moved into a house with a history of strange occurrences. From there
the film fractures into four tales which are related to the inspector
by the homes real estate agent. They go as follows:</p><p><a href="http://classic-horror.com/reviews/house_that_dripped_blood_1971" target="_blank">read more</a></p>http://classic-horror.com/reviews/house_that_dripped_blood_1971#commentsTheatrical releaseAnthologyUKTue, 19 Jul 2011 06:12:32 +0000Bruce Jordan294 at http://classic-horror.comReview: House (1977)http://classic-horror.com/reviews/house_1977
<div class="image-attach-teaser image-attach-node-17467" style="width: 145px;"><a href="/reviews/house_1977"><img src="http://classic-horror.com/files/images/house_1977_poster.thumbnail.jpg" alt="House 1977 poster" title="House 1977 poster" class="image image-thumbnail " width="145" height="210" /></a></div>
<p>One of the great things about horror
films is the constant evolution of the genre; just when you think
you've seen every possible take on a premise, somebody will come
along with a new twist on an old favorite. The bare bones of the plot
of <em>House</em> (a group of teenage girls, trapped in a creepy old
mansion, being murdered one by one) may sound very familiar. However,
in the hands of a first-time director with a background in both art
and advertising, it becomes a chaotic and experimental piece of work
that, aside from being baffling, bloody, and disturbing, is a great
example of the theory of Pure Cinema.
</p><p><a href="http://classic-horror.com/reviews/house_1977" target="_blank">read more</a></p>http://classic-horror.com/reviews/house_1977#commentsTheatrical releaseAnimal AttacksComedyGhostsHaunted HousesSplatterSupernaturalJapanMon, 17 Jan 2011 08:21:15 +0000Simon Powell7457 at http://classic-horror.comReview: Halloween 5 (1989)http://classic-horror.com/reviews/halloween_5_1989
<div class="image-attach-teaser image-attach-node-16969" style="width: 146px;"><a href="/reviews/halloween_5_1989"><img src="http://classic-horror.com/files/images/halloween5.thumbnail.jpg" alt="Halloween 5 poster" title="Halloween 5 poster" class="image image-thumbnail " width="146" height="210" /></a></div>
<p>The <em>Halloween</em>
franchise had delivered some pretty strong films with four entries
under it's belt already, so a fifth chapter should be promising and a
natural move. Sadly, the fact of the matter is that <em>Halloween 5</em> is a
major disappointment. While it isn't without some merit (emphasis on
some), the entire film is a feature-length missed opportunity of epic
proportions. Characters we loved in previous installments are now
rendered impossible to connect with, lapses in series continuity are
impossible to ignore and the story eventually commits the ultimate
cinematic sin: instead of thrilling, it just becomes unbearably
boring.</p><p><a href="http://classic-horror.com/reviews/halloween_5_1989" target="_blank">read more</a></p>http://classic-horror.com/reviews/halloween_5_1989#commentsTheatrical releaseHalloweenOccultPsycho KillersSlasherUSAMon, 24 May 2010 06:45:51 +0000Shaughn Ander1707 at http://classic-horror.comReview: The House on Haunted Hill (1959)http://classic-horror.com/reviews/house_on_haunted_hill_1959
<div class="image-attach-teaser image-attach-node-13229" style="width: 132px;"><a href="/reviews/house_on_haunted_hill_1959"><img src="http://classic-horror.com/files/images/house_on_haunted_hill_1959.thumbnail.jpg" alt="House on Haunted Hill 1959 poster" title="House on Haunted Hill 1959 poster" class="image image-thumbnail " width="132" height="210" /></a></div>
<p>The
first time I watched <em>The House on Haunted Hill</em> I was impressed. It was
creepy and captivating, Vincent Price was brilliant and the
atmosphere and story-line were completely immersive.&nbsp; I was in
love. However, when I re-watched the film for this review, I made a
startling discovery: my memory is a dirty, filthy liar. On second
pass, <em>Haunted Hill</em> was far less opulent, the casting less
appropriate, and the overall experience somewhat dull and stunted.
While it's certainly not a bad film, this review, sadly, is tinged
with bitter disappointment.<br /></p><p><a href="http://classic-horror.com/reviews/house_on_haunted_hill_1959" target="_blank">read more</a></p>http://classic-horror.com/reviews/house_on_haunted_hill_1959#commentsTheatrical releaseGhostsHaunted HousesPsychologicalRevengeSupernaturalUSAShocktober Classics 2009: Staff ScreamsFri, 30 Oct 2009 20:18:54 +0000Julia Merriam413 at http://classic-horror.comReview: Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)http://classic-horror.com/reviews/halloween_4_the_return_of_michael_myers_1988
<div class="image-attach-teaser image-attach-node-16581" style="width: 136px;"><a href="/reviews/halloween_4_the_return_of_michael_myers_1988"><img src="http://classic-horror.com/files/images/halloween_4_poster.thumbnail.jpg" alt="Halloween 4 poster" title="Halloween 4 poster" class="image image-thumbnail " width="136" height="210" /></a></div>
<p>After <a href="/reviews/halloween_iii_season_of_the_witch_1982"><em>Halloween III: Season of the Witch</em></a> became a box-office disappointment
and left fans bewildered over the absence of the series' main
villain, Michael Myers, producer Moustapha Akkad decided to bring the
character back for the next installment. The resulting movie is an
attempt to recapture the original film's atmospheric feel and update
it for a newer audience. <em>Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers</em> is
an entertaining film and one of the better in a long line of sequels,
though it lacks the suspense that made the first <em>Halloween</em> so successful.
</p><p><a href="http://classic-horror.com/reviews/halloween_4_the_return_of_michael_myers_1988" target="_blank">read more</a></p>http://classic-horror.com/reviews/halloween_4_the_return_of_michael_myers_1988#commentsTheatrical releaseHalloweenPsycho KillersSlasherUSAShocktober Classics 2009: Staff ScreamsWed, 28 Oct 2009 20:53:58 +0000Shaughn Ander1705 at http://classic-horror.comReview: The Host (2006)http://classic-horror.com/reviews/host_2006
<div class="image-attach-teaser image-attach-node-13864" style="width: 142px;"><a href="/reviews/host_2006"><img src="http://classic-horror.com/files/images/host_2006_poster.thumbnail.jpg" alt="The Host 2006 poster" title="The Host 2006 poster" class="image image-thumbnail " width="142" height="210" /></a></div>
<p>Bong Joon-ho’s <em>The Host</em> is the best political monster movie to come along since the original <a href="/reviews/gojira_1954"><em>Gojira</em></a>, but don’t think the film is content on being just a biting satire on government policies of both the United States and South Korea. No, there is so much more to uncover that each aspect of the film could be its own separate review. There is a subtle, almost dark comedic undertone to this movie, as well as a few scenes of poignant drama and sincerity. But above all else, it’s a serious horror film, a thriller packed with scares and screams as a result of an amphibious creature with a vicious temper and carnivorous tendencies. Don’t expect this monster to ever have a showdown with Mothra or <a href="/reviews/king_kong_1933">King Kong</a>. It just wouldn't be fair to those two.<br /> </p><p><a href="http://classic-horror.com/reviews/host_2006" target="_blank">read more</a></p>http://classic-horror.com/reviews/host_2006#commentsTheatrical releaseCreature FeatureDisease/InfectionScience FictionSea MonstersSocial CommentarySouth KoreaMon, 20 Oct 2008 08:27:57 +0000John Dubrawa11188 at http://classic-horror.comReview: The Haunted Palace (1963)http://classic-horror.com/reviews/haunted_palace_1963
<div class="image-attach-teaser image-attach-node-13466" style="width: 132px;"><a href="/reviews/haunted_palace_1963"><img src="http://classic-horror.com/files/images/haunted_palace.thumbnail.jpg" alt="Haunted Palace poster" title="Haunted Palace poster" class="image image-thumbnail " width="132" height="210" /></a></div>
<p>Roger Corman, despite his myriad of other films, will always be remembered for the Poe Cycle of the 1960s. Spooky stories, opulent sets, and Vincent Price's languid mannerisms – the Gothic beauty of Edgar Allan Poe, all shot in 2.35:1 with a generous use of deep focus. However, like any good family, even the Poe Cycle has its black sheep. <em>The Haunted Palace</em>, despite bearing the name of Poe poem, stands apart from the rest of the Cycle in themes, mood and atmosphere. That's because no one does horror quite like Howard Phillips Lovecraft.</p><p><a href="http://classic-horror.com/reviews/haunted_palace_1963" target="_blank">read more</a></p>http://classic-horror.com/reviews/haunted_palace_1963#commentsTheatrical releaseCorman's Poe CycleOccultPsychologicalSupernaturalUSATue, 12 Feb 2008 08:34:03 +0000Julia Merriam250 at http://classic-horror.comReview: Hellraiser (1987)http://classic-horror.com/reviews/hellraiser_1987
<div class="image-attach-teaser image-attach-node-13218" style="width: 134px;"><a href="/reviews/hellraiser_1987"><img src="http://classic-horror.com/files/images/hellraiser_poster.thumbnail.jpg" alt="Hellraiser poster" title="Hellraiser poster" class="image image-thumbnail " width="134" height="210" /></a></div>
<p><span>There are certain expectations when dealing with a film titled '<em>Hellraiser</em>'. For example, one&nbsp;would expect that hell will be involved, and, further, that someone or something will be raising that hell. In this respect, Clive Barker's horror legacy does not disappoint. However, now that </span><em>Hellraiser</em><span> has permeated popular culture, we have higher expectations to be met. We expect the makings of a classic, the iconic Pinhead instilling exquisite terror. In short, we expect a nightmare on celluloid.&nbsp;The film does not disappoint. It is a masterfully executed production, with a chilling story, great performances, and amazing special effects.</span></p><p><a href="http://classic-horror.com/reviews/hellraiser_1987" target="_blank">read more</a></p>http://classic-horror.com/reviews/hellraiser_1987#commentsTheatrical releaseHellraiserDemonsPsycho KillersUKSun, 28 Oct 2007 08:01:00 +0000Timothy J. Rush570 at http://classic-horror.com